One in Three Workers Reports Bullying as EU Launches €1.23 Billion Mental Health Offensive

EU commits €1.23 billion to 20 mental health initiatives; Germany updates risk-assessment rules; new study shows remote work driving psychological strain.

23 billion to combat psychosocial risks. The funding, channeled through the EU4Health campaign program for 2026, will support 20 separate initiatives across member states.

The centerpiece is a dedicated program run by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU?OSHA) that focuses on managing psychosocial hazards. It will run alongside the “Healthy Workplaces 2026–2028” campaign, which aims to raise awareness of mental health in workplace environments.

Recent international data underscores the scale of the problem. A Portuguese study of more than 5,549 employees found that over 38 percent reported experiencing workplace bullying, including threats or exclusion. More than 44 percent said they felt physically exhausted. Study lead Tânia Gaspar called occupational malaise a central societal challenge. In Germany, the AOK health insurance fund’s 2024 sick?leave report recorded a 47 percent jump in mental?health?related absenteeism between 2014 and 2024, and data from the country’s company health insurers (BKK) for 2026 shows illness levels remain stubbornly above pre?pandemic rates.

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As European regulators push for better management of psychosocial hazards, many employers still lack a structured way to assess psychological risks. A free toolkit provides 41 ready-to-use templates and checklists that help document and manage workplace risks, including those related to mental well-being. Download the free Risk Assessment Toolkit

The economic toll is severe. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) estimated in 2018 that work?incapacity?related production losses amounted to roughly €85 billion, spread across 708.3 million lost working days. More recently, a 2023 Eurobarometer survey found half of all employees work under constant time pressure, while a third complain of fatigue or headaches.

Updated German risk?assessment guidelines target psychological strain

On June 7, 2026, BAuA issued a revised edition of its handbook for assessing psychological workplace risks. The update defines mental stress according to the DIN EN ISO 10075?1 standard, giving employers a clearer framework to comply with a legal obligation introduced by the 2013 amendment to Germany’s Occupational Safety and Health Act. That law already requires companies to consider psychological load when conducting risk assessments. The joint German Occupational Safety and Health Strategy (GDA) has further specified what this means in practice through its PSYCHE program: workers need sufficient decision?making latitude, clearly defined tasks, and protection against interruptions and destructive behavior.

Mobile work: a hidden driver of mental strain

A 2026 study published in Science by researchers Emma Zang and Rourke O’Brain sheds light on one fast?changing risk factor. Employees who sharply increased their share of mobile work during the pandemic reported significantly higher psychological strain, particularly those with few social contacts. The authors attribute roughly one?third of the rise in mental?health complaints among US workers during the pandemic to the shift to remote work.

German experts Laura Venz of Leuphana University Lüneburg and Heike Ohlbrecht of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg stress that workplace social integration is crucial. Blurred boundaries between work and private life can have negative consequences, they say, though the effect appears less pronounced among employees living in family households.

Young workers feel the strain most

According to data from AXA Health and McKinsey, 42 percent of 16? to 24?year?olds do not have the resources to cope with their workload, and two?thirds want stronger support from their employers. In response, Germany’s pension insurance scheme has launched the “RV Fit” prevention program. Statutory health insurers are also stepping up investments in corporate health management.

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With young workers particularly vulnerable to workplace stress, having a comprehensive health and safety framework is essential. Over 37,000 UK businesses already use this free toolkit, which includes risk assessments, checklists, and toolbox talks covering everything from fire safety to mental well-being. Get the free Health & Safety Toolkit

The EU’s €1.23 billion package, together with national?level updates like the BAuA handbook, signals that policymakers are shifting from awareness?raising to concrete action. Whether the measures can reverse the decade?long trend of deteriorating workplace mental health will depend on how quickly employers translate guidelines into everyday practice.